Beyond Belief
by LeeMarieJack
Summary: When Castiel raised Dean Winchester from Hell a new body was needed. Made of Earth elements and Grace the body is a vessel possessed by Dean's soul. The body's own Grace rejects Angelic interference and Dean is handed over to the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital to be kept alive as his body continues to change. Hurt Dean/ Protective San and Bobby. Castiel is amazed.
1. Chapter 1 - In the Beginning

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 1**

**In the Beginning**

"I don't know what's wrong with him Bobby." Sam yelled. "He just started screaming and now he won't stop. Come on!"

Sam Winchester had galloped into Bobby's Singer's house without warning, slamming the door open, ignoring all of Bobby's wards and bellowing Bobby's name.

The old Hunter had pelted out of the study, shotgun gripped tightly in his hand. He was responding more to the mere noise than trying to figure out what was being said. As he lumbered into the hallway he was shocked to find Sam Winchester standing there with the front door wide open behind him. The young man appeared to be highly agitated; perhaps even in a state of shock. He was pale, sweating and almost dancing with anxiety.

"What the hell, Sam? I could have shot your ass, busting into my house like that." Bobby barked out. "What's wrong with you?"

Sam grabbed Bobby's arm and started pulling him out the door. "Come on, Bobby." he begged. "it's Dean. Something's really wrong with Dean. Come on. He needs help. You got to help him; I don't know what to do."

With that Sam dropped Bobby's arm and ran back out the door.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Dean Winchester lay in the back seat of the Impala, covered by the ratty red checked car blanket he always kept on the floor behind the driver's seat. Sam had wrapped it around his brother as well as he could when he put Dean in the car after his brother had dropped to his knees in the snow in Sica Hallow State Park and began to moan and paw at his back.

"Sam, Sammy, make it stop. Sam, help me." Dean had whimpered and Sam had reacted. When he put his arm around his brother and tried to pull Dean up off the wet ground something had moved under his forearm. Sam had jerked his arm off Dean's back as if it had been burned.

"What in God's name, Dean?" Sam yelped, drowning out Dean's whimpers for a moment. Sam pulled off Dean's leather jacket and was stunned as the back of his brother's flannel shirt jumped and danced.

Sam thought for an instant that something had fallen inside Dean's shirt and he stripped off his brother's flannel and T-shirt. Once Dean's naked back was exposed it had not helped. There was nothing to catch, no way to rescue Dean from the attack. Whatever it was it was under Dean's skin. The man's back was writhing and churning. There was definitely something under his skin.

"Help me, Sam," Dean demanded again. Now not only was his back writhing, he was shaking from the cold standing there half naked. Sam threw the flannel loosely over Dean's back, loaded his brother over his shoulder and fled to the Impala parked beside the road. Sam laid his brother on his stomach on the back seat, grabbed a blanket from the floor of the car and flung it over Dean.

Now the blanket was moving and Dean was still moaning but at least Sam didn't have to look at Dean's unnaturally heaving back. Sam had no idea how to deal with this problem. His first thought was possession and he chanted the Catholic Exorcism as he climbed into the driver's seat and roared out of the Park.

Adjuro te, serpens antíque, per júdicem vivórum et mortuórum, per factórem tuum, per factórem mundi, per eum, qui habet potestátem mitténdi te in gehénnam, …Sam droned and Dean's moaning moderated. If nothing else happened his voice at least seemed to be soothing his brother's pain. If it stopped Dean's cries Sam decided he'd chant all the way to Sioux Falls.

Dean was still whimpering and muttering but more quietly. He seemed to know where he was and that Sam was with him but that was about all that Sam could make out. Sam's only thought was Bobby. Getting to Bobby's house was normally about a peaceful three hour drive out of Sisseton but Sam wasn't planning either normal or peaceful.

The Hunter rammed his foot on the gas pedal and lit out like his ass was on fire.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The tall, thin blonde man pulled the hassock closer to the couch with the heel of his sock covered foot. He was spending a rare evening at home, alone with a bottle of beer and some ridiculous American sit-coms.

He stood and walked to the window with his beer in his band. Flicking the blind up, he stared out over the bleak snow covered city scape. So very much was strange here, he thought. He was in New Jersey instead of Sydney. It was Christmas and it was freezing out. Christmas had always been the big summer holiday in Australia; the start of the hottest summer months. He had seen it hit 37 Centigrade on New Year's Day, the equivalent of a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. This frozen Holiday wasn't his Holiday. It felt all wrong.

He took another hit off the beer all the while staring out at the frozen landscape. How could anyone get into the Christmas spirit while dealing with this icy mess?

It was a waste of time sitting in the apartment watching crappy old Christmas shows, he thought. He might as well go into work. Even there though were Christmas trees covered with phony snow, tinsel garlands and twinkling lights. There was no escape from all the good cheer unless he went and hung out with Dr. House. He was pretty sure there wouldn't be any Christmas decorations in House's office.

A rustling noise broke his concentration and he turned around. Much to his surprise and shock there was a strange man sitting on his couch, staring at his T.V. The man was still, his hands hanging between his open knees. He was silent and relaxed, as if he had been staring at the T.V. for hours.

"What the bloody hell?" Chase exclaimed. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" He quickly glanced at the front door. It was closed. He glanced back at the man on the couch. He didn't really look like a thief. He looked like a normal man you might pass in the street; normal height, dark suit, white shirt and a tan trench coat. The man's tie was flipped over, like it had been twisted by the wind. Chase's hands almost itched to straighten it out.

The strange man looked up. "Dr. Robert Chase, I assume?" Chase was impaled by the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. They almost seemed to glow.

"Well I'm sure as hell not Stanley and I don't think you are Livingston either.'" Chase felt all kinds of cheesy using the old line. He had no idea why he said it unless it was an effect of watching old movies late last night. The strange dark haired man stared at Chase in confusion. Maybe hoary old jokes weren't the way to go with this guy.

"We both seem to know who I am," Chase snapped out. "I'm glad you know whose apartment you've broken into. The question is who are you?"

"Please Dr. Chase," the man said. "I have traveled very far to find you. We need to talk."

"You need to get the hell out of my living room before I call the police, is what you need to do," Chase lunged for his landline which was sitting on the table at the end of the couch.

The strange man put up a hand, palm outward and Chose froze in place, unable to move forward. It was as if the air had become a solid immovable object. He was close to panicking but he clamped down and regained his control. Taking a deep breath he started breathing normally again.

"Please, do not be disturbed." The stranger said, leaning forward to get closer to Chase's face. "I am not here to harm you. I bring you a message. It is of great importance that you listen to me."

The man closed his palm and Chase could move again. "Please Doctor, sit down. A man is suffering in great pain and every moment we waste he could be drawing closer to death."

Chase sat down and carefully placed his beer on the table in front of him. His hands were shaking. "Take him to a hospital." Chase said and then turned to look at the man sitting beside him.

Whoever he was or whatever he was the man's eyes were outright unnatural. The color glowed in the dim apartment. Chase reached over and turned on the table lamp next to the phone.

"We fully intend to get him to a hospital." The man went on. "The only question is if it will be your hospital and if you are going to be his doctor. This man must not die. He has an important part to play not only for the Host of Heaven but also for your world."

Chase's mouth dropped open. "Run that by me again. The Host…you mean God and the Angels, that Host?"

"Yes, that Host." The strange man stood up. "I am Castiel, an Angel of the Lord. I believe you are a man of faith. Did you not at one time consider entering the Priesthood to serve God? I sincerely hope you are the right Dr. Chase. I cannot see how we could have made an error. Your history and current position is the reason we have chosen you."

Chase groaned inside. Great, an Annunciation, that was all he needed to make his life complete. Who couldn't use a touch of religious psychosis? He always knew that side trip through the seminary was going to come back and bite him in the ass one day. Well it looked like this was the day and the teeth were pretty damn large.

"Look, mate." Chase spoke up. "Or Mr. Castiel or the Angel Castiel or whatever you want to call yourself. You are seriously disturbed. I suggest that you get yourself to a hospital. I'll be glad to call you a cab. Hell, I'll even pay for it."

I assure you doctor," the man continued. "Neither myself nor my brothers are seriously disturbed." Blue Eyes turned and waved his hand at two more men in dark business suits who appeared out of empty space, "We are Angels."

There was a flash, possibly of lightening, in the room and for a moment Chase believed he saw wings at each man's back. He slumped back on the couch and closed his eyes, refusing to look again. Unfortunately however, there was no way he could close his ears and not hear that his apartment was full of the sound of rustling wings.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Patient Arrives

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 2**

**The Patient Arrives**

**From Chapter 1**

_I assure you doctor," the man continued. "Neither myself nor my brothers are seriously disturbed." Blue Eyes turned and waved his hand at two more men in dark business suits who appeared out of empty space, "We are Angels."_

_There was a flash, possibly of lightening, in the room and for a moment Chase believed he saw wings at each man's back. He slumped back on the couch and closed his eyes, refusing to look again. Unfortunately however, there was no way he could close his ears and not hear that his apartment was full of the sound of rustling wings._

**Chapter 2**

_Earlier the same day_

"How did this happen, Castiel?" Cathetel asked.

"I truly do not know sister. We followed our orders and lay siege to Hell. When we broke through the lines I went alone to search for the Righteous Man. Our intelligence was correct. I found him in the Demon Alistair's torture chamber and even though the first seal was broken and Dean Winchester had spilled blood in hell I raised him from perdition and restored him alive to the Earth."

"Well, something went wrong." Cathetel went on. "He is breaking down. His body is transforming. How did you restore his body?"

"I could not restore his original body. That substance was already decayed and partially consumed by the Earth. I had to build him a new body. I assembled the atoms from the Earth and fused it together though the power of Grace. I gave that body life and installed the soul of the Righteous Man in its new vessel. I do not understand what went wrong." Castiel was stunned at this deviation from Heaven's perfect plan as all plans created by Heaven were, of course, perfect by definition.

Castiel was not that familiar with Cathetel, The Angel of the Garden, who had been promoted to Anna's position as Castiel's superior when Anna had ripped out her Grace and fallen to Earth decades before. It was perhaps conceivable that he might have misunderstood his orders from this new link in the chain of command.

"That is what I thought you told me previously. I reported it in exactly those words. I have consulted with our superiors again and explained what has gone wrong. We retreated and waited for revelation but none was given, sadly. It appears that The Father has left this matter up to us to deal with as best we can." Cathetel paused.

"Our brother Zachariah has suggested that perhaps the body you created was only a vessel. Dean Winchester's soul now possesses that vessel but it is continuing to grow and change. The connection between the vessel and the possessing soul is not complete. Additionally any of our efforts to try and mend the connection stops the growth and we are rejected by a manifestation of what seems to be the vessel's own Grace, which is certainly an unexpected development."

Cathetel paced the marble floor, her wings trembling in anxiety. "We cannot touch that body without killing both it and the soul of the Righteous Man. What we were trying to prevent in Hell we now seem to be creating on Earth. The best opinion of the upper choir is that whatever is happening must be allowed to proceed. If we were to accidently kill the Michael Sword trying to help it could be centuries before another appears. Before that could happen Sam Winchester may provide Lucifer with the perfect vessel. Lucifer could rise and conquer the Earth unopposed. Paradise would be lost."

"What can be done safely, sister?" Castiel asked. "The man seems to be in intense pain and I understand that it is possible for a human body to die from pain, accident, disease or perhaps even this transformation. He needs care and we cannot provide it if we can't even touch him."

Cathetel raised her hand to sooth Castiel's concern with a gesture. "It has been decided that the humans must care for the human body. The most we can do is see to it that he receives the best care that the humans can provide. We have located a well-regarded place of healing and the most useful human medical specialist we can find. "

"You, Castiel," Cathetel went on "are to take your vessel once again and prepare the way with this Dr. Robert Chase. Haniel and Sofiel will be traveling with you. They are not to take vessels. They are allowed appearance alone and that at need only. Your assignments will be that you, Castiel, are to watch over Dean Winchester and provide communication for all. Haniel is to watch over Samuel Winchester and report if Lucifer approaches and Sofiel will watch over this doctor and provide a warning if something goes wrong. Castiel, you are to guide the group and report to me as time goes on. I will report to our superiors the progress made. Unless there are some unanswered questions we should move with all deliberate speed."

The Angels courteously bowed to each other and took to flight. The bulk of the garrison returned to their posts. Heaven's orders had been given and each one knew their place. Dissent and confusion was banished and peace was restored.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

_Back in South Dakota, the same day_

Bobby pulled the blanket off Dean after Sam had laid his brother on the couch. He was as shocked as Sam had been on seeing the writhing of Dean's back. It appeared as if some small, flat creature was moving up and down under Dean's skin in hurried sudden jerks.

"Whoa," Bobby said. "Whatever this is Sam, I certainly can't deal with it. I'm pretty sure we're looking at emergency room business right here. You should have taken him straight into Sioux Falls General."

"I thought about it Bobby, I did." Sam said. "The only reason I brought him here was that the spasms slowed way down when I recited the Catholic Exorcism. It made me wonder if it might not be a spiritual thing rather than a medical one."

"That's strange alright," Bobby responded. "I have a recording of a group of Catholic prayers in Latin. I think I might play it and see if they have the same effect."

Bobby scrabbled around in a desk drawer and came up with a small tape recorder. The moment he started it up, Dean relaxed and seemed to sink into the couch in relief.

"You're right Sam." Bobby mused. "It does seem to give him some kind of relief. I still would feel better if a Doctor had a look."

"Í agree, Robert Singer," a voice came from the back of the room.

Sam jumped in surprise and peered into the gloom of Bobby's ranks of bookcases. "Castiel?" Sam asked. "Is that you back there? Come out here. Dean needs help."

Castiel strode forward, glancing back over his shoulder as he came.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I am unable to help him. "

"Why not?" Sam was shocked. "Are you refusing to help? You haven't even looked at him. You don't know what's wrong."

"You are wrong, Sam." Castiel said. "I have looked at him. So have a number of other Angels also. We have determined that whatever is happening to Dean it is a process that we cannot touch. My Grace could possibly kill him. Something is going on that not even the Heavenly Host can understand. It has been decided that the best thing to do is let the process play out without our interference."

Sam knelt down by his brother when Dean started to moan his name again. Sam looked up at Castiel and pleaded for help. "Cas, he can't go on like this. He's begging me to help him. We have to do something. Should we take him to a hospital?"

"Yes, exactly," Castiel replied much to the Hunters' surprise. "He needs the support of human medicine while this suspected transformation progresses. The pain appears to be over whelming. Dean is usual stoic about his pain. I can't imagine what he is going through that would make him react like this."

Bobby picked up his thermal vest from the back of his chair. "Well, I'll go get the Impala set up with some more blankets and stuff. The Emergency room is a good five miles away."

"That is not necessary Mr. Singer." Castiel laying a hand on Bobby's arm. "We have made arrangements for Dean to be admitted to the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.'

"That's a hell of a road trip for an emergency room." Bobby said. "I guess you're going to give us a ride, I think."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

_In New Jersey, the same afternoon_

Dr. Greg House limped his way into his office. A thin, nervous looking man he was leaning heavily on a cane and dragging his left leg a bit. Dressed in dark slacks and a gray and blue striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up the last thing he suggested was a highly regarded Medical Professional. He had more of the air of an eccentric university lecturer.

As he pushed open the clear glass door to his office, a moveable piece in his also clear glass wall, he looked around the space in an exaggerated manner. He seemed to be searching the room for something that should be there but wasn't. He had arrived for a meeting with his diagnostic team about his latest patient and had been expecting to find Drs. Chase, Cameron and Foreman waiting for him with the usual look of terrified anticipation on their faces.

Only Eric Forman was in the room and Eric just wasn't all that much fun. If was easier to flay Chase and Cameron. Eric had a tendency to give back as good as he got instead of melting down into incredulous outrage like the other two.

"Where are our lovebirds?" House asked and sat down, leaning forward on the handle of his cane.

"No idea," Foreman answered and went back reading a medical journal he had partially rolled up in his hand. "Maybe there out there somewhere being Doctors." The neurologist replied calmly. "Like we're supposed to be."

"In a bit of a snippy mood today, are we Foreman? What's the matter? Jealous of losing out on the free nookie?" House vented on Foreman because that was all he had.

Voices penetrated the office. The two looked up to see their missing associates just short of the door having a heated discussion with Lisa Cuddy, the Hospital Administrator. Cuddy was talking with her hands, as usual. She passed through the waving her hands in the air phase to the fists on her hips phase then rapidly turned on her heel and walked away in a marked manner. All of them were common Cuddy responses to doctors being unreasonable in her opinion. She used them all on House during their frequent disagreements. None of it ever did her any good.

Chase and Cameron pushed their way into House's office. The tall, willowy Chase was a good head taller than the pert, compact Cameron but they made an attractive couple. They were inevitably heading down a very tough path. Doctors' hours and doctors' lives very rarely made for happy couples. They worked too closely and the emotional kicks in the head that medicine at their level delivered often led to the couple taking the stress of their jobs out on each other. A Doctor needed a refuge as a lover, not another basket case with problems of their own.

Chase and Cameron were still in the early bloom of their relationship and House enjoyed poking at the invisible seams. A bitter and disappointed man, House struck out at those that should have been his closest friends, in a perverse effort to transfer his pain on to others.

"What's going on Chase that's so much more interesting than our new case? We have a nice gentleman, Mr. Grant, who was hurried along here last night suffering from a lot of painful rashes, just everywhere. What could be more fun than a man with a ticklish crotch for no particular reason?"  
>Chase hummed and pressed his lips tightly together. "Dr. Cuddy was just transferring care of a new patient over to me. He's a distant relative of mine and she just gave permission for me to work on him."<p>

House jerked his head back. "You're Australian. What are you doing showing up with relatives in New Jersey?"

"He's a son of my mother's Aunt." Chase stumbled on. "I'm as much surprised fining him here as anyone else."

House stared at the tall doctor. He knew instinctively that he was being lied to. Chase was a remarkably bad liar, unlike Foreman who could lie to Santa Clause without blinking an eye.

House dropped the subject and picked up Mr. Grant's case for discussion. He'd find out more from Cuddy later. This wasn't over yet. He'd find out what they obviously didn't want him to know. It interested him a lot more than Mr. Grant did.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

_An hour earlier in the emergency room_

Chase was hanging around the Admitting desk down in the emergency ward, eliciting stares from the emergency room doctors who suspected him of poaching their patients.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Dr. Chase?" Bob Marrow, one of those emergency room doctors asked.

"There's a patient coming in that I'm interested in," Chase responded. "He's in pretty bad shape and I want to move him along as quickly as possible. I thought I'd help out."

Marrow furrowed his brow, a look he was cultivating because the thought he looked too young. "Really, what's the patient's name? I can call you when he gets here, you know." Marrow flipped over to a clean page on his clip board.

"That won't be necessary," Chase responded and straightened up from his lean against the admitting secretary's desk. "I think that this is him now." An ambulance with flashing lights but no siren was backing into the emergency entrance.

Chase shot a look at his watch; exactly on time, just as the Angel had said. Cameron came around the corner to join him. He had invited her along for morale support. In addition she had a more agile tongue than he did. He was hoping she would help if anyone questioned why a surgeon and an immunologist from House's diagnostic team were following an emergency room patient to the door of a private room.

Chase dearly wanted a look at this guy. The Angel had not been that specific. Chase was to somehow keep this guy alive while he was going through some process, unspecified. The Angel had been very vague and Chase suspected that the care and feeding of a human body might not be something the celestial being had ever thought about before.

This whole thing had to go very smoothly. There was a diagnostic meeting in a little more than an hour and Chase did not want to stir Dr. House's curiosity if he could help it. Lisa Cuddy was going to be enough of a problem. Chase patted the inner pocket of his scrub pants. There was a huge lump of money there.

He smiled remembering how the Angel had looked pulling money out of every available pocket of his costume last night after saying that he had been given to understand that healing in the human world cost a lot of money. The Angel had seemed somewhat offended by that but coughed up the cash quite willingly. He even told Chase that more would not be a problem whenever Chase needed it. Chase was to simply pray to Castiel for more money.

There was a thump and a clatter of gurney wheels and Chase's mystery patient was being wheeled into the room. The EMT backed into the door and pulled the gurney along to one of the examination bays. The patient was moaning and the sheet over his body was spotted with slashes of clear liquid. As the gurney went past Chase and Cameron the entire emergency room was suddenly filled with the smell of roses.


	3. Chapter 3 - Meeting the Winchesters

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 3**

**Meeting the Winchesters**

**From Chapter 2**

_There was a thump and a clatter of gurney wheels and Chase's mystery patient was being wheeled into the room. The EMT backed into the door and pulled the gurney along to one of the examination bays. The patient was moaning and the sheet over his body was spotted with slashes of clear liquid. As the gurney went past Chase and Cameron the entire emergency room was suddenly filled with the smell of roses._

**Chapter 3**

Chase and Cameron followed the gurney into the examination bay. Bob Marrow, the emergency room doctor followed close behind. It was a little crowded in the small bay with three doctors, the EMT and a moaning patient filling the space. Chase helped the EMT transfer the man onto the examination table.

"Is this the man you were expecting, Dr. Chase?" Marrow asked while pulling forward his always present clipboard. "Can you give me his name?" Marrow clicked his pen and leaned on the supplies counter.

"No, not really," Chase stuttered. "He's an American second cousin I didn't even know I had." Chase forced a snicker. "Relatives, right? You don't even know they exist until they need a favor."

Marrow simply stared in disbelief. Chase was a completely transparent liar. Cameron hurled herself into the breach. "Don't mind Chase, Bob." She chortled. "Australians don't even like to admit that anyone related to them could possibly exist outside the bounds of their island. I know I'm not surprised."

The EMT interrupted the uncomfortable conversation. "When I got the call for pick up they said the guy's name was Dean Spenser. Does that help? It sure was one weird damn call."

All present turned to look at the man.

The technician shrugged. "The address was an empty house. This guy was lying on the living room floor, all alone. I saw those wounds on his back, loaded him up and called dispatch again. I was afraid he'd die on the way he was making so much noise. When we called in we got permission to hook him up to a morphine drip and he quieted right down."

"Then dispatch told me to bring him here and some relatives would be along right away." The EMT looked at the patient again. "By the way, keep the sheet. We certainly don't want it back in the truck. I've smelled a lot of stuff in that truck but this is the first time I've smelled roses."

The technician gathered his gear and his gurney and left.

At the mention of wounds Dr. Morrow stepped forward and started to peel back the damp sheet. It stuck to the man's body a bit and the patient moaned loudly. Pulling it free the source of the clear liquid was revealed. Between the man's shoulder blades and his spine were foot long, deep, open slashes, one on each side.

Pulling the sheet down further disclosed two smaller slashes over his kidneys and further down two more slashes appeared laterally above the curve of his buttocks. All six wounds were moving with the man's breath. When he breathed in they opened slightly and clear liquid seeped out. Emptying his lungs caused the wounds to close again.

In addition all the muscles in the man's back were moving and twitching.

"Holy crap," Dr. Morrow exclaimed. "What the hell is this?" He looked at Chase as if expecting an explanation. Chase shrugged back. "No idea. Maybe the relatives will know something. Let's get him covered and moved to an isolation room. I don't think he needs infection on top of whatever the hell this is."

Each Doctor went for the gauze and rubber gloves. The first time the gauze touched one of the wounds the man stopped moaning and emitted a high pitched scream that rattled everyone's teeth and caused all the glass in the examination room to dance. Bottles were shaking themselves in the cupboards, traveling along counter tops. People came running from all over the ward. The doctors all raised their hands and backed away. The noise stopped and the man went back to moaning.

Marrow grabbed a clean sheet and threw it over the man from a distance. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't want us to touch him." He said.

"He's all yours, Doctors." Morrow said. "Take him away and good luck. Well send the relatives to you when they show up."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Eddy Lawry pushed open the Emergency Room side door and started down the side walk. He was on his break. For the next half hour his time was his own. It was none of the nursing supervisor's business where or how Eddy spent his break. He walked around the side of the huge building, headed for the Relative's Garden. It was a peaceful space on the East side of the building, far from any entrances, isolated and private. It was supposed to be a place where the patients' relatives could go to breakdown and weep if they wanted to but it had gradually turned into the staffs' hidden smokers' retreat.

Eddy sat down on one of the benches and pulled out his Marlboros. The place was vacant and so was the parking lot that edged the other side of the walk. Most people wanted to park closer to the hospital's entrances so the adjoining lot was usually empty. This place was just about the most hidden and private space the hospital had to offer.

Eddy lit up and relaxed. It had been four hours since his last cigarette and his nerves were about to jump out of his skin. No one at work knew he smoked. If they found out his life would be hell. Every doctor, nurse and secretary would make it their personal mission to save Eddy from his habit. Not one of them would consider minding their own damn business, Eddy thought.

Twilight was just falling so Eddy initially wasn't sure what he was looking at when reality shimmered in one of the parking spaces. A big black car folded itself out of another dimension and set up shop in the empty slot. The car was accompanied by the noise of rushing wings and a breeze that blew Eddy's smoke away. He glanced at his cigarette, just making sure it was what it was and then his eyes went back to the car.

The front doors opened with loud metallic groans and a man stepped out on either side. Eddy held his breath. He hoped he was far enough in shadow that these guys didn't notice him. Whatever this was, it sure wasn't natural. Eddy knew that car had not been there only moments before.

The driver was really tall and broad. The other guy was more normal size with a beard and a trucker's hat. Eddy watched as they locked up the car just like real people instead of phantoms and saw them head in the direction of the Emergency Room. Eddy just sat there, stunned; he was trying to reconcile what he had just seen with his personal version of reality. He took another deep long hit, surprised to find that his teeth were chattering.

"Shock," he thought. "I'm in shock." He just needed to sit here until it wore off. Maybe the car would just go away again and he could tell himself it never happened.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Sam and Bobby entered the Emergency Room completely unaware of the damage they had just done to Eddy Lawry's world. They stepped up to the reception desk and waited to be acknowledged. Since neither of them was bleeding or missing any limbs the receptionist went on with her phone conversation, eying the big guy up. Finally she nodded, punched a key on her computer keyboard and hung up the phone.

Now sure that these guys were properly impressed with her importance she smiled. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for my brother," the tall one said only mildly irritated by her byplay. "He was just brought in by ambulance." The older man spoke up. "Dean Spenser, his name is Dean Spenser. Who can we talk to about him?'

She responded by shoving a couple of the ever present clipboards over the counter with a flutter of forms. "If you will just fill these in I'm sure that the Doctor will be right with you." Her smile was just short of her usual brand of insincerity due to how good looking the big guy was.

Luckily for Sam Winchester's temper Dr. Morrow was just walking past and he caught the name 'Dean Spenser' floating through the air. He approached Lucy, the receptionist.

"That's all right, Lucy,' he said. "I can talk to these men." With those few words he saved the two hunters from the crowded waiting room. Opening the door to the treatment area he waved them in and pointed to a couple of chairs pushed against the wall.

"Dean Spenser is in the process of being admitted to the hospital for treatment of his wounds. His case is being handled by Dr. Robert Chase. If you go around to the main entrance and give your names so the front desk you will be notified just as soon as Mr. Spenser has been moved to a room. It might take a while since an isolation ward needs to be set up for him. I know that Dr. Chase wants to talk to you as soon as possible. He needs to know more about what happened to Dean."

"I'm sorry not to be able to tell you more about Dean's condition but I don't know anything more. Hopefully the ICU will be able to help but I really think you must talk to Dr. Chase as soon as possible." Morrow paused and looked closely at the two men. "Did either of you come into contract with Dean's wounds?"

Sam replied. "Yes, I carried him to the car when it happened and I carried him more or less into Bobby's house."

Morrow raised a finger. "Could you please sit down and just stay right here for a moment? I need to make a call." With that the Doctor disappeared to a private office across the hall and closed the door behind him.

His head popped back out a minute later. He had a phone pressed to his chest. "Mr. Singer, did you also handle Dean's body?"

"Crap kid," Bobby responded. "Dean's not dead. I didn't just handle his body; I handled the man."

In a few more minutes two orderlies were standing in front of Sam and Bobby. Dr. Morrow reappeared and a tall blonde man in a white doctor's smock also showed up.

"Gentleman," the blonde said. "I am Dr. Chase. I'm treating Dean Spenser for an unknown infection and for his wounds. I'm afraid we can't allow you to leave since you both came in contact with the suspected pathogen. Could you please come with us? We are setting up a room for you next to Dean. On the bright side, you be able to see him."

"And, I guess on the down side," Bobby said "We are your prisoners now."

"Please don't think of it like that," Dr. Morrow said. "Think of it as a precautionary matter. We don't want to see either of you get sick and we certainly don't want an unknown pathogen to be released into the general population. I'm sure you understand our concern."

Bobby Singer snorted his opinion but stood up, said "Balls" and, along with Sam, followed their medical escort deeper into the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Dean's gurney had been met by the ICU Isolation Ward nursing staff. They were draped in masks and paper clothing complete with cute little booties on their shoes. They took Dean's gurney away from the Emergency Room orderlies and sent the men off with another member of the staff to the decontamination unit.

There was a lot of activity going on in the adjoining room as the staff understood that relatives who had handled Dean's wounds were on their way up to join Dean in lock down. Dr. Cameron was already waiting for Dean's arrival and Dr. Chase had gone to intercept the relatives. The staff could understand Dr. Cameron's presence as this kind of unknown infection could possibly fall within her field but the addition of a Diagnostic consulting Surgeon was a mystery. Dr. Chase had never been involved with the Isolation wards before.

The head nurse had taken stock of the situation and with the wisdom accumulated from decades of dealing with young doctors she had quietly made a call to Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the hospital Administrator. This was more or less a CYA action on Nurse Lebensraum's part. Her excuse was that the patient's admittance forms were not in the system and she needed guidance from administration on how to proceed.

Dr. Cuddy showed up with storm flags flying.

"Dr. Cameron."

"Dr. Cuddy."

Battle lines were drawn.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

By the time Dr. Chase showed up with Sam and Bobby in tow Cuddy and Cameron had exchanged salvos and the fight was on. Chase waded in as a mere man but he had one secret weapon. He had wads of cash in his pockets.

Dr. Cuddy had Nurse Lebensraum bring blank admitting forms which she handed over to Dr. Chase with instructions to get it done. The wads of cash soothed Dr. Cuddy's sense of outrage somewhat but her thirst for information concerning who she was allowing into her hospital was unabated.

The icing on Cuddy's particular cake appeared when Dr. Chase told her that the whole thing was a secret and that Dr. House was not invited. It was too thrilling not to appeal to the often traumatized administrator. She pledged her help, as much as possible, in keeping Dr. House away from Chase's second cousin, Dean Spenser. Of course, PPTH was devoted to the quest for knowledge so a heretofore unknown and possibly infection pathogen was not something to be discarded lightly.

In the end Dr. Cuddy gave her blessing to Dr. Chase's peccadillo and Dean Spenser was officially admitted with Dr. Cuddy's permission, paperwork pending.

The promise of additional cash when needed also may have had something to do with Dr. Cuddy's change of heart. She glanced over at Sam and Bobby.

"Dr. Chase," she said. "May I remind you that we are not a hotel and if these gentlemen are declared uninfected the room must be vacated immediately?"

"Certainly, Dr. Cuddy" Chase agreed. "I'm sure these gentlemen will be pleased to be allowed to leave."

Dr. Cuddy left and the ward settled down. One of the Isolation Ward nurses appeared and asked "What would you like us to do, Dr. Chase?"

Chase glanced in at Dean. "Give me a little time with my patient. I'll come to the nurses' station with instructions," he replied and then picked up the various pieces of barrier clothing needed to enter an Isolation room; mask, cap, booties, paper suit. He retired into the changing cubicle and returned quickly, finally ready to examine his patient.

All this time a low level of moaning had been seeping through the door. Entering the room made it louder and Chase moved to check the patient's morphine drip.

"Who the hell are you?" someone asked and Chase jerked in surprise, his hand on the drip regulator. Looking down at the patient he realized that the man was awake.

The most luminous green eyes he had ever seen were staring up at him. Dean Spenser's face was almost unnecessarily beautiful, for a man. "And where the hell am I?"

For just a moment Chase could not find an answer. Once he got his tongue unstuck he said "I am your doctor, Dr. Robert Chase and you are in the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. You've been very sick."

The patient looked around the room as much as he could with his face buried in a pillow. "Where's Sam? Where's my brother?"


	4. Chapter 4 - Plans and Theories

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 4**

**Plans and Theories**

**From Chapter 3**

_All this time a low level of moaning had been seeping through the door. Entering the room made it louder and Chase moved to check the patient's morphine drip._

"_Who the hell are you?" someone asked and Chase jerked in surprise, his hand on the drip regulator. Looking down at the patient he realized that the man was awake. _

_The most luminous green eyes he had ever seen were staring up at him. Dean Spenser's face was almost unnecessarily beautiful, for a man. "And where the hell am I?"_

_For just a moment Chase could not find an answer. Once he got his tongue unstuck he said "I am your doctor, Dr. Robert Chase and you are in the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. You've been very sick."_

_The patient looked around the room as much as he could with his face buried in a pillow. "Where's Sam? Where's my brother?"_

**Chapter 4**

"Your brother and your Uncle are right next door.' Chase responded. "We're holding them in isolation also until we can be sure that they are not infected. As soon as we get you situated they'll be able to come in and sit with you."

"Infected with what?" Dean asked. "What the hell is wrong with my back?"

Dean moved an arm as if he was going to reach back and pull off his sheet.

"Don't touch that." Chase barked. "We have no idea what is going on with you. You have long open slashes in six places on your back. They almost look like knife wounds. In addition your back muscles are moving under your skin. Your whole back appears to be crawling with muscle seizures."

"Great." Dean said. "So you don't know what the hell is wrong with me." Again Dean tried to reach his back.

"Mr. Spenser," Chase snapped in annoyance. "If you don't stop trying to touch your wounds I'll have you restrained."

"Just try it, sweetheart." Dean snapped back. "I'll tear this damn bed apart."

The man might be beautiful, Chase thought, but he appears to be something of a bastard. Chase looked to the window trying to spot Dr. Cameron.

Alison Cameron was approaching the unit door all dressed up in her own protective scrubs. With her hair tucked up under the cap and the mask covering the lower half of her face there was little exposed to indicate either her age or her beauty. It didn't bother Chase. He knew what was under the paper.

However she seemed to intrigue the patient.

"Hi ya, sweetheart" he said and flashed a smile that could dim the lights. "Are you my doctor too?"

Chase rolled his eyes and looked at Alison. He knew she had been hit on by a lot of patients and knew how to handle them. Most of them however didn't have big, bright, green eyes or a face that belonged in a magazine. He knew how to put a stop to this. Before it went any further he'd just have Cameron insert the guy's catheter. That would nip any flirting in the bud, so to speak.

Dr. Cameron focused on Chase. "What would you like me to do, Dr. Chase?"

Chase stepped next to the bed. "Mr. Spenser, I am going to take this sheet off so Dr. Cameron can assess your condition. Hopefully she will have some idea about what could be causing the muscle spasms."

Chase carefully lifted the sheet and Cameron got her first good look at the problem since the disaster in the emergency room. Spenser tensed up but remained quiet. He buried his face in the pillow.

Cameron leaned over but did not touch. She watched the wounds 'breathe' and held her hands just above the crawling muscles. After a minute she stepped back and shook her head at Chase.

Chase folded the sheet over Spenser's buttocks but left the man's back exposed. "Mr. Spenser, I am going to have an X-Ray taken of your back. There is a special unit right here on the floor that is only used for isolation patients. Someone will be in to get you in a few minutes."

Following Alison's lead Chase left the room. He waved to the head nurse and asked her to get X-Rays taken of the patient's back. He also warned her about what she was going to see and told her to try and not upset the patient with her reaction.

Alison pulled off her mask and tossed it into the biohazard can. Chase did the same.

"Well," he began. "What do you think? Any ideas?"

"I don't know of anything that would do that," Dr. Cameron replied. "I don't think those are knife wounds though. I think the guy's skin has actually split open. I did notice something weird though."

"Really, something weird?" Chase shot back. "What? With this guy everything is weird."

"More than that," Alison replied shortly. "I was leaning over him when one of the wounds pulsed with his breathing and I swear I saw something dark moving underneath the slit. It is possible that some kind of large organism is lodged in Mr. Spenser's back."

Chase glanced back at the patient. "Well, let's see what the X-Rays show before we think about knocking him out and probing his back."

The two doctors watched as the X-Ray technician, dressed in protective gear, arrived to roll their patient away. Chase glanced down at his watch.

"Shit, we're late for House's meeting. We got to move or he'll be all over the hospital looking for us."

Chase and Cameron changed back into their clothes. trashed the isolation gear and headed for the elevator but before they got very far the patient's brother, Sam , stopped them.

"What are you doing with Dean?" the big man asked. "Where are you taking him?" Sam was now dressed in the ever popular paper clothing. His own clothing, Chase assumed, was somewhere in a plastic bag.

"Mr. Spenser," Chase started.

"Winchester," the man replied. "My name is Winchester."

Chase paused. "Listen Sam, Dean's just gone down the hall to X-Ray. Dr. Cameron and I are late for a meeting. Please go back in your room and stay there. This is called the Isolation ward for a reason and you're violating protocol. I'll come back and talk to you and Dean's Uncle as soon as we return from downstairs."

"It better be a damn important meeting," Winchester growled.

"You really don't have any idea of just how important it could be," Chase responded and headed back towards the elevator.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Chase and Cameron stepped out of the elevator and headed for House's office. Just as they reached the door with no place to hide Dr. Cuddy's voice floated down the passageway. "Dr. Chase, a moment please" she called out.

Chase paused with his hand on the handle of House's door "Yes, Dr. Cuddy. How can I help you?"

Cuddy walked up and now there was a dumb show going on for House. Chase, Cuddy and Cameron stood outside discussing a matter that did not evidently require House, something that insulted House's sense of self importance. Worse than that, Cuddy seemed to be upset.

House regarded upsetting Cuddy as his own personal domain. This hallway dumb show was getting under the Doctor's skin in just that place that he could not scratch, his pride.

Cuddy stood on the other side of the glass, waving her hands, bunching her fists on her hips and generally performing all the responses hat House liked to think belonged only to him. He was extremely annoyed that Chase was able to stimulate the same reactions.

Once he had Chase in the room and firmly under his thumb House intended to make the team member pay for his rashness.

Cuddy turned away from Chase and left. Cameron and Chase finally made it into the office and found chairs around the conference table.

"What was the miming about, doctors?" House asked pointedly.

It took Chase a moment to understand the reference. "Nothing important, I just have to get some paperwork done for Dr. Cuddy. She feels she should have already received it and I haven't even started." Chase smiled. "She wanted to let me know that I wasn't going fast enough for her."

"Is that so?" House sat and picked up his rubber ball off his desk. He started bouncing the ball against the side wall. He was well aware of how annoying his team found this particular habit. They all know that they were being lulled by the hypnotic sound of the ball bouncing while House's head was going a mile a minute, joining random thought to random thought and managing to weave a whole cloth from nothing.

"Three doctors standing in a hallway for 10 minutes discussing a bit of paperwork. How much did that cost? It must be a really important piece of paperwork if it ranks in front of our regularly scheduled morning meeting and drags Dr. Cuddy out of her office too. Do tell, what kind of paperwork is it?"

Chase threw a look at Cameron, hoping she would pull him out of the pit he had fallen into but no help was forth coming. Her eyebrows delicately telegraphed 'you're on your own'.

Chase straightened in his chair and pulled on the front of his white coat. "Just an admittance form, that's all; nothing really that important."

"Why are you wasting valuable diagnostic time filling in admittance forms, Dr. Chase? Don't' we have over paid staff members for routine paper pushing like that?" House seemed deeply interested now. He leaned forward, hands braced on his cane, waiting for an answer.

"It's a relative of mine, a second cousin, actually," Chase stuck to the story he had given Dr. Cuddy. He felt consistency might be a good thing.

"What's wrong with the man, Chase?" House asked. "Is he a subject for us? I admit that Mr. Grant's rash does not appear to be much of a challenge. We could use something a little more interesting."

Chase thought back to the appearance of Angels in his living room; you could say that Dean Spenser's case was definitely interesting. The last thing in the world he wanted though was Dr. House sticking his nose in. If House managed to worm the whole story out who knows what he would think. Chase also suspected the Angels would not be happy with Dr. House upstairs trying to diagnose Dean's problem.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

In the isolation ward Dean was getting rolled back into his room. Bobby and Sam were waiting.

Sammy's legs stuck out of his paper outfit. His long, boney ankles were crossed and flat soled slippers were just managing to hang off his feet. Sam size was bigger than the hospital's concept of extra-large that was for sure. Bobby was similarly dressed but had somehow managed to hold on to his hat.

The orderlies barely glanced at them. They sat in the guest chairs like they owned them having somewhere picked up reading material. They were breaking all the rules and you couldn't find two guys more likely to do just that.

Dean was, as usual, highly annoyed. The orderlies had decided to immobilize Den's arms while he was in X-Ray and had strapped them to the bars of his bed. Now they had conveniently 'forgotten ' to release him. It most likely had a lot to do with Dean addressing them as assholes.

They slid Dean's bed back into its bay and hooked him back up to his wires and tubes. The isolation nurse came in and informed him that Dr. Chase had left orders to get Dean hydrated and she inserted a needle into his heretofore untouched left hand, taped it down, supplied and started a saline drip.

She glanced at Sam and Bobby on her way out of the room. "Who told you gentlemen it was allowed for you to enter Mr. Spenser's room? I didn't see your tests come back yet."

"It was that young skinny guy," Bobby lied. "Dr. Chase, I think his name was. He said everything was fine and I took that to mean we were all clear. If I'm wrong, well, it's too late now. We've been in here since they rolled Dean down the hall." Bobby went back to reading his paper.

The nurse didn't have anything else to say. She was not used to patients simply lying to her face so she decided to wait for Dr. Chase to show up again. She could talk to the desk nurse on duty but no one really liked to talk to Nurse Lebensraum.

Once she walked out Dean shook the straps holding his arms to the bed. "Get these damn things off me, Sam" he growled.

Sam stood and went to his brother's bed. They had tossed a sheet over Dean's back down in X-Ray but Dean looked cold. The sheet was stained with that clear fluid which had now been leaking out of Dean's back for almost a day.

"Do you want me to find another blanket, Dean?" Sam asked softly as he unbuckled the padded leather straps.

"I'm not sure, Sam." Dean responded in a matching quiet voice. "Maybe you could get one over my shoulders. Stay away from the damage. It hurts like hell when there's any pressure added. I'm tired, Sam. Whatever this is, it's wearing me down. I think I'll call for Castiel. Let's see if feather brain will show up. He's been a little undependable lately. If he doesn't show right away I'd like to try and get some sleep. Do you think you might be able to get some water or some ice cubes? My mouth feels like I've been licking sand all day."

Sam started poking around in the room's drawers and closets. First he found the extra light weight blankets and carefully laid one over Dean's shoulders and another one over his legs. Once he found a paper cup he went to the sink and got some water. Getting the water into Dean was a little messy but the brothers worked together to get it done. It got a lot easier when Bobby came up with a straw from the other room.

With a sigh Dean hid his face in the pillow. A shudder ran through him and the soft moan started up again. Sam turned out all the lights except for the one under the cabinets hoping that it would help Dean fall asleep for a while if the room was darker. Sam pulled up a far too small plastic chair and sat beside his brother's bed, holding on to Dean's wrist.

Bobby watched the brothers for a few minutes then told Sam he was going to go next door and lay down for a while.

Sam laid a hand on Dean's head, about the only part of Dean he thought he could touch safely. "Dean, is there anything else you need before Bobby goes? What about the bathroom?" Den's answer was muffled.

"Call me if you need me, boy." Sam waved the older Hunter off.

"We'll be fine Bobby. Get some rest." Sam said. "I think I'll try to rustle up a nurse."


	5. Chapter 5 - Hello Stranger

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 5**

**Hello Stranger**

**From Chapter 4**

_With a sigh Dean hid his face in the pillow. A shudder ran through him and the soft moan started up again. Sam turned out all the lights except for the one under the cabinets hoping that it would help Dean fall asleep for a while if the room was darker. Sam pulled up a far too small plastic chair and sat beside his brother's bed, holding on to Dean's wrist._

_Bobby looked at the brothers and then told Sam he was going to go next door and lay down for a while._

_Sam laid a hand on Dean's head, about the only part of Dean he thought he could touch safely. "Dean, is there anything else you need before Bobby goes? What about the bathroom?" Den's answer was muffled._

"_Call me if you need me, boy." Sam waved the older Hunter off._

"_We'll be fine Bobby. Get some rest." Sam said. "I think I'll try to rustle up a nurse."_

**Chapter 5**

"No nurse, Sam." Dean growled.

"I thought you were going to sleep, Dean," Sam replied. "Do you need something else?"

"Yea, damn it." Dean growled again. "I have to piss like a race horse. Do you think you can get me to the bathroom?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Dan." Sam said. "Maybe I can get you a bed pan."

"Hell no, Sammy, I can handle my own dick, thank you. Just help me get to the bathroom."

Dean pushed on the raised rails of his hospital bed and slid his legs over the side. Realizing that stubborn big brother had an idea lodged firmly in his head Sam knew he had one of two options. He could either help or get out of the way. Dean Winchester had never heard of a middle ground. He most likely didn't even know a middle ground existed.

Sam stood in front of his brother. Dean put one hand on Sam's shoulder and held on to Sam's outstretched arm with the other. It was only a few steps to the bathroom. Sam got Dean to the door and then let him grope for the grab bars. Closing the door Sam went back to his chair.

A couple of minutes later there was a sharply indrawn gasp and a woman's voice said "Where is Mr. Spenser?"

Sam looked up to find two isolation nurses in full protective gear and gloves standing in the doorway. One had her hands full of slightly disturbing looking medical equipment.

"He's in the bathroom," Sam said rather redundantly as the sound of a flushing toilet followed. Sam stood up to go to the bathroom door to help Dean back to his bed. The nurse in front, Nurse Lebensraum her nametag read, glared at him. "Mr. Spenser is confined to his bed. You should not assist him further."

"The hell you say, missy," Dean heard the last of the nurse's instructions aimed at Sam. "Aren't you the ones who left me in that bed without any options? You're supposed to be taking care of me. You're doing a shitty job, if you hadn't noticed." Dean reached out for Sam and held on as Sam slowly walked him back to the bed.

"Mr. Spenser," the milder looking nurse said. "I'm Kathy Middleton and I'll be assigned to you for the rest of your stay." She started moving around Dean's bed, hanging a plastic bag shaped like a hot water bottle on a hook on the bed frame. She then carefully stripped a length of plastic tubing out of some white paper wrapping and sprayed the narrow end of the tube with a shiny, damp looking substance. "Nurse Lebensraum and I are here to insert your catheter. Can you roll on your side for a moment, please?'

"Sammy." Dean squalled. "What the hell? Make her stop, Sam."

The sour looking older nurse took a firm grip on Dean's shoulder and pushed him on his side. Dean started to keen with the pain. Nurse Middleton reached over and increased the flow on the morphine drip. Just breathe, Mr. Spenser. Relax and just breathe," she instructed. "This is going to happen so please, try and cooperate. It will be a lot less painful for you."

Five minutes later the nurses were calmly picking up the trash from the procedure and Dean was lying on his stomach again, shaking with rage but competently hooked up to his collection bag. Sam stood next to his brother. It was difficult to figure out which brother was more shocked.

The noise had roused Bobby from his bed in the next room and he had caught the tail end of the show.

"Damn it, I'm going to sue you people for assault." Dean hissed though clenched teeth. He was slurring just a bit due to the increase in his morphine drip.

The older nurse took the debris, stuffed it in the biohazard can next to the door and left the brothers with Nurse Middleton. She adjusted dean's drip back to the previous level. Dean rolled his head and kept an eye on her as she went she was finished with the drip she started poking around in the cabinet next to his bed. She pulled out a couple of small boxes.

"Mr. Spenser, these are your TED hose; Thrombo Embolic Deferment hose. They're like knee socks without feet. They are going to keep you from forming blood clots in your legs since you won't be walking around for a while and you don't want to have a stoke, do you?" Nurse Middleton smiled sweetly at the doubtful look on Den's face and then flipped the blanket covering his calves up. She grabbed an ankle. With a well-practiced move she rolled the leg sleeve down one leg and just quickly down the other.

She pulled the blanket down over his legs again and casually rested a hand on his ass. "Now, you're all set up. Don't try to talk your brother into helping you out of this bed again." She untangled the call bell from the bed frame and placed it on Dean's pillow. "It's important that you immediately press the call button if your legs begin to feel either numb or tingly. It's important. Do you understand?"

Sam saw the signs of an imminent explosion and stepped into the breach. "I'll keep an eye on him, Nurse. I know he wanted to ask you about getting something to eat. Do you know about that?"

Nurse Middleton pulled the chart off the foot of Dean's bed. "There's nothing here yet about a feeding schedule. I'm sure as soon as Dr. Chase comes back he'll order something for your brother."

"Hey," Dean mumbled. "I'm right here."

Sam smiled at the Nurse. Dean's voice clearly indicated that the painkillers were working.

From across the room came a clear snort as Bobby Singer offered his opinion on the value of Dean still being in the room. "Balls, kid," he laughed. "Right now I don't think you really know where you are. Go to sleep, Dean. Sam and I will take care of everything."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

The morning meeting of Dr. House's diagnostic team broke up. Foreman stuffed his journal into his briefcase, stood up and left without a word. The team had determined a treatment for Mr. Grant's rash without a lot of trouble. Foreman's feeling was that there had been absolutely no need for him to attend this meeting. The patient clearly was not in need of a Neurologist. He thought the most useful of them might be Dr. Cameron.

They were going to treat the man's symptoms to make him more comfortable while they ran a number of blood tests. House had spent the entire meeting trying to get a rise out of Dr. Chase and had so succeeded at unnerving the young Surgeon that Chase had exploded. The blond doctor had snapped out that if he was still in Australia he would be looking for a spider bite or asking if the patient had recently swum in warm ocean water.

House had gotten back at Chase for his outburst by pointedly looking out the window at the steadily falling snow.

"Well, Dr. Chase, it sure as hell isn't Sydney out there." House had said in his 'I'm talking to idiots' voice. "However you have at least raised the possibility of the case being more interesting than an allergic reaction to his laundry detergent. I don't see the man swimming in the East river right now but what the hell, why don't you go ask him?"

Chase had stood and snapped back at his tormentor. "Dr. House, I have a patient up on four in the isolation ward that I left to attend this meeting. I'm going back to him right now. You'll have to get someone else to talk to Mr. Grant."

"Really, Dr. Chase?" House had bounced right back. "When did you decide not to be part of this team?'

"When Dr. Cuddy gave the man's case to me." Chase answered back. "I'm going back to my patient now."

House watched as Chase left in a huff. House looked at Dr. Cameron. "I hope you're still with me Dr. Cameron. This one looks like it might be right up your alley. Since we've been abandoned by the men why don't you go talk to Mr. Grant and find out exactly where the man has been recently? I'll be highly entertained if Chase is right for once simply because he lost his temper."

Alison gathered her notes and left without a word. She was in no mood to put up with more of House's pointed remarks either. The way he talked to her only highlighted just how much Dr. House needed to attend the required Diversity training classes he dodged so well. She left feeling vaguely insulted by the inference that she was getting the job only because the men had refused.

House was alone in his office. He rested his hands on the head of his cane and rocked back and forth. He was giving considerable thought to Chase's patient. He was uncomfortable with the idea that Chase was apparently getting out from under his thumb. He stood up finally and leaned on the cane. He had decided that he was going to head down to Dr. Cuddy's office and see what kind of information he could annoy out of her about the patient in the isolation ward.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Lisa Cuddy saw House coming as soon as the elevator doors opened and the gaunt Doctor clumped out into the hall. The glass walls of her office were good for something. It was hard to be surprised when you could see the opposition coming from that far away. She was very sure she knew why her most out of control physician was on his way and she closed her computer window down. She had been checking in on Dr. Chase's progress on the admittance forms for his cousin. Not much headway had been made but one thing she knew for sure. The relatives wanted nothing to do with Dr. House.

That was odd. She had no idea why the patient's brother and Uncle were so set against House interfering in their relative's care. Annoying as he was, House was head and shoulders above any other Diagnostician not only in Cuddy's hospital but also in the country. Why would they be so set against the best?

It couldn't be his personality, they had not yet received a full dose of that. She considered various ways that the well of cooperation had become so poisoned. Before she could settle into a state of deep thought House hit her door oozing his usual offensiveness.

"Dark Mistress," he boomed. "So lovely today. The boots are a nice touch. Better to trample on the necks of your panting admirers, are they? Where did you stash your whip?"

"Shut up Dr. House. Do you even listen to the crap that comes out of your mouth?" Cuddy stood and straightened her dark jacket over the front of her lacey peach colored blouse.

House parked himself at ease in one of her leather visitors' chairs and looked comfortably settled in for a visit.

"Got the twins under control now?" he smirked. "The jacket only adds to the mystery."

"I have long since given up hope of being pleasantly surprised by professional conduct from you, Greg." Lisa sighed. "What do you want? If you're here about Dr. Chase's cousin it's the family that is calling the shots, not me."

"What's that about, Lisa?' House responded. "You usually have a pretty good grip on the visitors to your domain. What's so special about this group?"

"Before Dean Spenser arrived we received written authorization from the family specifying only Dr. Chase was to handle the case. I had the document reviewed by the legal department and it is iron clad. If you're interested in Spenser you are going to have to ask Chase for permission to visit. Violate that and the hospital is going to get landed with a nice juicy suit."

"I've never hear of something like that before." House said posing with his hands clamped around the head of his cane, staring up at her. "That's legal? Chase works for me."

Lisa raised her hands in defense. "Not my call. Legal cleared it and said the family had the right to do it. It's an odd case, and except for the relative's instruction I would think it would be right up your alley. I saw him down in the Emergency Room when he arrived. I have no idea what's wrong with him and I don't know why the relatives would think that Chase is the answer to their problem." Lisa paused to consider her next words carefully.

"I'm going to warn you right now, Greg. I think it might have something to do with Chase attending a seminary. I overheard the brother and Uncle having a conversation about Angels."

"You have got to be making that up." House exploded. "Religious preferences, good grief! Ridiculous! Chase knows better than to mix his superstitions with medical treatment."

Lisa Cuddy had been repeatedly exposed to House's rants against religion. He was not prejudiced against any particular faith; he insulted them all equally.

"I'm telling you to stay away from Spenser, Greg. If you need something to do I have a number of possible cases for you." Lisa glanced down at her desk top and started to pull and stack up files that needed attention.

When she looked up again House was gone and she heard the peal of the elevator bell. She smiled. That was definitely an excellent way to get House out of her office. She decided from now on she was going to have a stock of fake files kept on a corner of her desk for just those moments when it became a question of driving House out of her office or strangling him.

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

House stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor. The nurses on duty behind their walled desk looked at him as if he was the devil himself. House never came to their floor. If a patient needed House his team came first. They wore the protective clothing; they took the patient's vitals and copied the nurses' files. House rarely showed up himself. Nurse Lebensraum could not remember the last time she had seen House in the Ward.

She stood up to intercept the intruder.

"Dr. House." She murmured. "How can I help you?"

House glared at the woman so obviously prepared to deny him entrance to the ward. "The file on Dean Spenser.," he barked. "I need to see it."

"I'm sorry. Nurse Lebensraum replied. "Dr. Chase has it with him in the visiting doctor's office behind you. You'll have to ask him for it first. I understand that you are barred from the patient's room at the family's request."

House glared at her. "That got around fast." He stared around and noticed that the patient room straight ahead seemed to have an unusual number of people dressed in protective clothing in it. Mixed in was a dark haired man dressed in a beige trench coat.

He pointed at the room with his cane. "Is that Spenser's room? I thought he was possibly infectious. What's with the crowd?"

Nurse Lebensraum turned around. "His brother and his Uncle are also here with us." She stopped. "I have no idea who the man in the raincoat is. I never saw him enter."

Just at that moment Drs. Chase and Cameron came around the corner. "House," Chase snapped. "What are you doing here?"

""Well, Dr. Chase," House leaned on his cane. "Someone competent evidently needs to be here. Who's the Colombo wanna be in your patient's room? I thought this was the Isolation ward."

Chase's eyes snapped off House to the patient's room. To his shock he recognized the Angel Castiel.


	6. Chapter 6 - Encounter

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 6**

**Encounter**

**From Chapter 5**

_Just at that moment Drs. Chase and Cameron came around the corner. "House," Chase snapped. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Well, Dr. Chase," House leaned on his cane. "Someone competent evidently needs to be here. Who's the Colombo wanna be in your patient's room? I thought this was the Isolation ward."_

_Chase's eyes snapped off House to the patient's room. To his shock he recognized the Angel Castiel._

**Chapter 6**

Chase looked like a deer trapped by unexpected headlights. He shoved Spenser's file into Alison's hands and barked at both her and House. "Stay right here. Don't go a foot closer to that door." The young doctor took off almost at a run for the patient's room. Cameron and House watched him enter the room and start talking to the man in the trench coat. The other men in the room moved closer to the patient's bed then the very tall one noticed the audience. He reached over and closed the room's blinds.

"Give me the chart, Dr. Cameron," House demanded. "What's up with this guy anyway?"

Right then Nurse Lebensraum walked up with one of the big manila envelopes that were designed to hold X-Rays. She hesitated for a moment, torn between Dr. Cuddy's instructions that the most senior doctor, Dr. House, who was right in front of her, was not to be involved with Mr. Spenser's case. She knew that she should have waited for Dr. Chase but a decision needed to be made. She eyed the young Dr. Cameron. Not only was Dr. Cameron young she was also a woman.

Lebensraum belonged to that generation that would have automatically assumed that Cameron could only be a Nurse putting on airs. In Lebensraum's day there had not even been Nurse Practitioners. She could not help herself. She handed the X-Rays to Dr. House.

"Dr. House, Dr. Cameron," she nodded at Alison. "The X-ray technician says he needs further instructions on how to handle Mr. Spenser's X-rays. He attempted to get the requested view three times before switching to a standing frontal view. I gather neither the Technician nor the Specialist who has attempted to read these films has any idea what is wrong. Please take a look so I can get back to them. Thank you." She turned away and headed back to her desk.

House now had more material than he could handle along with his cane. He moved over to the visitor's waiting area and spread the materials out over the low coffee table. Alison trailed along behind, keeping one eye on House and one eye on Dean Spenser's door.

Flipping the file open he traced the normal lines of description: male, approximately 28 years, old, and so forth. "What? He doesn't know how old he is?" House commented. While still peering at the file he picked up the X-ray envelope and slid the films on to the table top.

"What the hell?" he snapped. Alison leaned in to get a clearer look. They could see the base of Spenser's neck and the beginning of his arms on either side but the man's back was a bright white burst. All detail was lost in the smear of what looked light intense light. "No wonder the X-Ray Tech is freaked." House said while staring in shock. "It looks like a radiation burst. What's going on here?"

There were other films still in the package and House shook them out too. Evidently the Tech had made Spenser stand in front of the wall plate and tried to take a X-Ray from the front when the normal X-Rays were a failure. Spenser looked more reasonable in this position. The smear of light was definitely behind him, shining through the spaces of his ribs but those ribs also presented another anomaly.

Alison waved a finger over this second set of films. "It looks like his ribs are carved." She said quietly. "How could that even happen? How could the ribs be marked without killing him outright?"

House held the film up to the light. "It almost looks like writing." Both doctors peered at the mysterious designs.

"Does the patient have scarring on his chest?' House asked. "I don't know," Cameron replied. "I've only seen his back. There are six open wounds on his back, in sets of three. The left and right wounds are mirror images. Other than those seeping wounds I observed nothing else. We could ask Dr. Chase, I assume."

"Excuse me." A strange voice interrupted and the man in the trench coat was standing in the hall with Chase directly behind him. "I believe those documents concern Dean Spenser." The dark haired man intoned in a deep voice. "I must insist that you immediately give them to Dr. Chase."

"Just who the hell are you to tell us what to do in our own hospital, buddy?" House barked back. Dr. Chase extended a soothing hand. "Dr. House, this is Dr. Castiel, Dean Spenser's private physician. The family has given Dr. Castiel a Power of Attorney and a signed Medical Directive which gives Dr. Castiel total control over Dean Spenser's care."

House glared at the guy in the trench coat. "Dr. Castiel?" House's voice was awash in doubt. They all, with the possible exception of Castiel, could tell that House didn't believe it. The diagnostician rose leaning on his cane and extended his hand. Castiel stared on the man's hand for a moment then reached out to shake it awkwardly. It was if Dean's doctor was trying to recall what he was supposed to do next.

"Well, Dr. Castiel." House smiled falsely and went on. "What can you tell us about Dean's case? Do you have an opinion about the wounds on his back?"

"I have discussed this matter with Dr. Chase." Castiel dropped House's hand abruptly as if he had just realized he was continuing to hold on to it. "I believe that you have not been asked to care for Dean. Dr. Chase and, at his request, Dr. Cameron, are the only PPTH doctors authorized to deal with Dean's case. Documents were delivered to your Dr. Lisa Cuddy concerning this restriction prior to our arrival."

House glanced over the man's clothing. The trench coat was a strange choice for a physician to wear inside a hospital. The dark suit and white shirt made him look more like an accountant than a doctor. The twisted, improperly tied tie was the final touch. House sniffed. "Well, Dr. Castiel, I find it interesting that you accept two members of my team as qualified to attend to your patient but don't want the physician who is the team leader involved. Why is that?"

Dr. Castiel cocked his head to one side and stared at House. His intensely blue eyes were unwavering and inquisitive, regarding House as if he were an oddity to be studied. Unexpectedly Castiel closed his eyes for just a moment as if he was listening to a sound no one else could hear.

Those unearthly eyes flashed open again and Castiel replied "Dr. Chase is a man of faith. You are not. He is qualified to deal with Dean. You are not."

House was as close to struck dumb as he could possibly get. Dr. Chase was fluttering around behind Castiel trying to calm both his boss and his patient's doctor quite ineffectively. In the midst of the tension a voice rang out.

"Castiel, Castiel," Sam Winchester called from the door of Dean's room. "Dean's awake. He needs you." Sam turned back into the room.

Castiel immediately turned and strode back to Dean's room, Doctors Chase and Cameron followed close behind. House was gathering up the file and X-rays clumsily. His partner in crime, Dr. Cameron, was following Chase down the hall and House was out of hands. Nurse Lebensraum appeared at his elbow.

"Here Doctor," she said. "Let me help you with this."

House leaned on his cane and pulled himself up from the inconveniently low padded chair and followed the crowd down the hall with his new minion, the Nurse, close behind. It occurred to him that they looked ridiculously like a line of baby ducks all following a flapping trench coat down the hallway of PPTH.

Isolation ward protocol was blown all to hell when Castiel then Chase, followed by Cameron all entered the patient's room immediately. Sterile procedures were evidently voluntary House thought and pursed his lips. Turning to the nurse he wiggled his eyebrows, unleashing her.

Nurse Lebensraum bustled forward, indignant. "Doctors, please," She barked, "This is an isolation….."

The Nurse was shut off abruptly as both members of the Patient's family came into the hall and stood in front of the door, blocking entrance. The tall one folded his arms and leaned forward threateningly. "Go away." He turned and looked at House. "You go away too. No one needs you. Leave."

For the second time in an afternoon House was struck dumb. No one treated House like this in his own hospital.

Turning to the Nurse he ordered "Go call Dr. Cuddy and Security." She practically flew to her desk to comply. House was infuriated. He poked at the tall man with his cane but before he could work up a good head of steam there was an outright scream from inside the room. Both of the patient's relatives turned and ran back inside and House followed them.

Bracing himself in the doorway House could clearly see Dean Spenser lying on his belly with one of the hospital's thin blankets spread over him. There was another deep vocal complaint that could be described as a man-scream from the patient and, to his shock, House watched as the blanket on the patient's back rose up. Something more than just muscle spasms was at work. Something was rising under the cloth.

House did not see who had done it but someone removed the blanket. It may have been Chase or it could have been that fake Dr. Castiel but Dean's back was clearly exposed.

Both of the large wounds under the patient's shoulder blades were gapping open, a clear viscous looking fluid was running down the man's back and dripping off the bed on to the floor. From the slits something dark, spiky and glistening emerged, spread its spine-like crest and expanded. While House watched the extrusion flexed open then closed a few times and withdrew back into the man's body.

The immediate silence in the room was shocking. The explosion of noise after a couple of heart beats was just as shocking.

Castiel cast a different blanket over Spenser's back. "Sam, Bobby," the man growled. "Get them all out of here, now."


	7. Chapter 7 - Broken World

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 7**

**Broken World**

**From Chapter 6**

_House did not see who had done it but someone removed the blanket. It may have been Chase or it could have been that fake Dr. Castiel but Dean's back was clearly exposed. _

_Both of the large wounds under the patient's shoulder blades were gapping open, a clear viscous looking fluid was running down the man's back and dripping off the bed on to the floor. From the slits something dark, spiky and glistening emerged, spread its spine-like crest and expanded. While House watched the extrusion flexed open then closed a few times and withdrew back into the man's body. _

_The immediate silence in the room was shocking. The explosion of noise after a couple of heart beats was just as shocking. _

_Castiel cast a different blanket over Spenser's back. "Sam, Bobby," the man growled. "Get them all out of here, now."_

**Chapter 7**

Sam rushed Chase and Cameron out the door. Chase attempted to push the man's arms away but he might as well have not tried. The tall, lanky doctor was hustled out the door and practically into House's arms.

House turned to the side, protecting his bad leg and held on fiercely to his cane. Chase almost took him down. Nurse Lebensraum pushed back from the other side and the three of them staggered. They looked like Saturday night drunks being thrown out of a bar but they all managed to stay upright. Cameron was tossed out like an afterthought. The big guy shut the room door and leaned back against it.

The files were knocked out of the Nurse's hands as she fought to keep House on his feet and the X-Rays fluttered to the ground. Chase swooped down and pulled up the frontal view.

"God knows what I just saw," he said. He picked up the other X-rays and the big envelope. Propping what he could under his arm he held the X-Rays up to the light. "Maybe the only one that does know is God" he murmured to himself

"Come on, Chase," House snapped out. "Whatever came out of that guy's back needs to be seen to. We have no idea what it is. We don't have enough information to base any suppositions but we definitely aren't going down the religious road with the rest of these idiots. We need lab work and we need to probe those wounds even if we have to knock the guy out.

"House," Chase responded "these people aren't going to let you poke and prod at the guy. They have made it very clear. When they approached me they told me that all they were asking is that we keep the guy alive while he goes through some kind of process. They don't want treatment. They don't want anything from us except medical support."

House stared at Chase. "You knew about him before he was admitted? Is that why a Surgeon is filling in a Patient Admittance form? Do you know these people personally?"

House went on. "As soon as Security gets here we are having the guy's relatives and that fake doctor removed. We are going to go treat that guy no matter what his happy band of lunatics say."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

Lisa Cuddy looked up at Josh Rendon, her Chief of Security. He told her that he had sent guards up to the fourth floor at the request of Dr. House. The complaint was about hostile relatives in a patient's room and Josh thought that perhaps Dr. Cuddy would like to know.

"Is the room in the isolation ward?" she asked. "Please don't tell me that it's the Spenser room." She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"Yes," Josh answered, surprised. "That's the name. Is there a problem?"

"Oh, yes, there's a problem," Lisa tilted her head back trying to loosen a sudden spasm of her neck muscles. "Dr. House has no authority over that case or that room. As a matter of fact he has been warned to stay away from those people. Call the guards and tell them to back down."

She rose from her desk and strode to the door, snagging Josh's arm along the way. "Come with me. We're going to go settle this once and for all. We may have to remove House by force." She gave Josh a quick little smile. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Upon the fourth floor the standoff between House, his nurse minion and Dean Spenser's over-sized brother had escalated.

"Sir, I need you to move aside." Nurse Lebensraum ridiculously pulled at Sam Winchester's folded arms as if she could move him through a simple application of bad temper. He stared down at the top of her head then looked over and stared directly at House.

For a moment it looked like she had actually pulled him forward but it become clear that he only stepped forward I order to let Mr. Singer and Dr. Castiel out of the room; now all three of Dean's defenders were guarding the door.

Dr. Chase threw himself into the breach. Pulling Nurse Lebensraum out of the way he paused. "Sam, Bobby, I know you are trying to do your best to help Dean. Don't you think it would be good if a doctor was in there with him? He looked like he was having a very hard time. Maybe I could do something for him. Would you let me in?"

Sam glanced at Castiel who nodded and Sam stepped to the side to let Chase pass. The young doctor disappeared into the room.

A chime sounded and the elevator doors opened to disclose some uniformed Security Guards coming forward at a fast trot. House sighed. "Finally. Maybe we can get this damn hallway under control now."

There was a buzzing squawk and the Guards stopped moving. One listened to his radio and then his eyes shifted from Sam Winchester to Greg House. The man's face was twisted in surprise and he held out his hand to stop the other guard from moving forward.

"Dr. House." the man said. "Would you mind stepping away from the room for a minute? Dr. Cuddy and Josh Rendon are on their way up to talk to you."

House glared at the guard. "Can't you see what's happening here? Remove these men from the patient's door. The patient could be dying in there but you're going to wait for Cuddy and your boss before you do anything?" He waved his cane at the trio in front of the door. "Move them, damn it."

The men at the door stiffened. House came very close to landing a blow on Castiel's folded arms. Nurse Lebensraum put on an excellent demonstration of indecisiveness as everyone could hear the soft chime from her desk down the hall indicating an incoming call. She was wavering between staying with House and answered the bell.

Another mechanical chime sounded and the elevator doors opened to disclose Lisa Cuddy in full Valkyrie mode with Jose Rendon following in her wake.

The hallway was getting outright crowded. All that was needed would be to have patients from nearby rooms sticking their heads out looking for the source of all the noise. All the competing voices were however overpowered by a shout from the Spenser room as of someone in great pain; Dr. Chase's voice exclaimed "Holy shit" and a bright white blast of light shot out of Spenser's windows, blinds or not. The three men in front of the room door ducked as if the light had weight and hit them in their backs. Every one froze momentarily in shock.

Suddenly Bobby Singer was shoved aside as Dr. Chase charged out of the room. Behind him the light faded away and the room went dark.

Chase grabbed Castiel's sleeve. "You need to get in there, right now." He panted. "I think it happened. What you were waiting for happened."

Castiel turned without a word and went into the darkened room. Chase looked around helplessly and then collapsed against the hallway wall, sliding down until his ass was on the floor. Dr. Cameron knelt in front of him. He appeared to be in shock. At least he was shaking and seemed unable to focus. She tended to him and looked around for Nurse Lebensraum.

While everyone else was focusing on Chase House moved toward Spenser's room. You would have to admit the man was single minded in pursuit of his own curiosity. Sam Winchester and Bobby had both turned to look in and hardly noticed when House, with flexibility unexpected in a crippled man snaked his way between them.

Sam went to reach for him when a voice said "Don't bother Sammy. Let him in."

House had never herd Dean Spenser's speaking voice before so he was not sure who had issued the order. He noticed that the bed was empty; the sheets and the rest of the bedding were dragged off and lying on the floor.

There was a man sitting in a shadowed chair off to the side of the bed. House assumed that it was Dean Spenser since Castiel was standing in front of the closed windows in plain sight. House used his cane to flip the switch beside the door and the ceiling lights blazed into life.

The man in the chair was Dean Spenser. He was naked but incredibly self-possessed. His hands lay relaxed on the chair arms and he stared directly into House's face. There was no sign of embarrassment about being naked in front of a stranger and the man made no attempt to cover himself.

"You are a stubborn son of a bitch, aren't you?" Spenser said.

"It's been said before." House responded. "Who are you people? What did you want of this place? Why Chase? I swear you aren't going anywhere until I have answers to my questions. I'll call the CDC if I have to and have you declared an infectious danger to the city."

The man in the chair laughed. "Whatever floats your boat, buddy."

They both could hear shouting in the hallway now. Dean's brother was keeping the Security Guards and Dr. Cuddy away from the room. It sounded like it was getting serious out there. Castiel turned away from the window.

"Dean I think I'm needed out there. Your brother might be about to start getting defensive. We don't want these people to get hurt. Have your discussion with this man and then we'll leave."

As Castiel brushed past House to leave the room the Angel reached out and touched the man's bad leg.

"Perhaps this will aid the discussion." The Angel said. For the first time in years House was free of pain. He turned to the Angel completed stunned. "What the hell did you do?"

"It won't last, Doctor. Take advantage of the next few hours. I can't heal what is not longer there; I can only mask the pain for a while." Castiel answered. "You should have let them take the leg when they offered. You have much to give to the world of man and you are drowning your gift in a river of pain."

Once again House was struck dumb, a situation he was beginning to expect around this odd group of beings. Castiel left and House turned back to Dean Spenser. "So what is going on here?"

"I suggest you sit down, Dr. House." Dean said. "You're in for another surprise and I don't think you've gotten over Castiel's little gift yet. I wouldn't want you to pass out on me. Speaking as one who has been there, this floor is frigging cold."

House sat in one of the guest chairs. The noise from the hallway stopped and Dean Spenser smiled. "That's Cas at work." He laughed. "Such a talented almost Seraph he is."

House sputtered. "Seraph? You're calling him an Angel? He's nothing but some kind of a fake doctor with, I suppose, hypnotic skills like carnival tricks. There are no such things as Angels just as there is no such thing as God. These superstitions need to be stripped away from minds clouded by delusions."

"Well, Dr. House, you are going to have to think fast. You are going to have to come up with some nice logical explanation for this. We only wanted to work with Dr. Chase because he was pre-disposed to believing in the spiritual world but you had to be an ass and push your way in."

With those words Dean Spenser stood up and unfurled heavy, dark gold wings. They rippled and arced, unfolding to an incredible length, stretching from almost wall to wall. Below the two giant wings a smaller set swept to the floor, twitching and balancing the upper set. The light bounced off the gleaming feathers and glory spread throughout the room. Spenser was a large man but even so it was hard to believe he could support the weight of these most inhuman appendages.

"What are you?" House finally gasped.

Dean knelt before the man and pulled his wings in to create a kind of protected area. It was a bubble of privacy. House felt cut off from the world. All he could focus on in the midst of dark gold feathers were Dean Spenser's bright green eyes.

"Just between us," Dean replied. "I really don't know. My friend Castiel the 'not an Angel' according to you, and I are going to be leaving here shortly to go find out. After we go I suggest you let Sam and Bobby out of here before there are unpleasant questions asked and Sam uncorks his temper. It's not a nice picture when he blows so do anything you can to get them out of here as soon as possible." Dean winked at the doctor. "Agreed?"


	8. Chapter 8 - Into the Heavens I Will Fly

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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

**Beyond Belief**

**Chapter 8**

**Into the Heavens I Will Fly**

**From Chapter 7**

_With those words Dean Spenser stood up and unfurled heavy, dark gold wings. They rippled and arced, unfolding to an incredible length, stretching from almost wall to wall. Below the two giant wings a smaller set swept to the floor, twitching and balancing the upper set. The light bounced off the gleaning feathers and glory spread throughout the room. Spenser was a large man but even so it was hard to believe he could support the weight of these most inhuman appendages._

"_What are you?" House finally gasped._

_Dean knelt before the man and pulled his wings in to create a kind of protected area. It was a bubble of privacy. House felt cut off from the world. All he could focus on in the midst of dark gold feathers were Dean Spenser's bright green eyes._

"_Just between us," Dean replied. "I really don't know. My friend Castiel the 'not an Angel' according to you, and I are going to be leaving here shortly to go find out. After we go I suggest you let Sam and Bobby out of here before there are unpleasant questions asked and Sam uncorks his temper. It's not a nice picture when he blows so do anything you can to get them out of here as soon as possible." Dean winked at the doctor. "Agreed?"_

**Chapter 8**

House leaned back as far as he could to get away from Dean Spenser. Spenser stood up and one of the giant wings hit the ceiling, breaking into one of the recessed ceiling lights. There was a sudden shower of sparks and the room became shadowed.

House squeezed his eyes shut and breathed in through his mouth. His nose had lied to him. It had joined the doctor's other senses in telling him that something non-human was in the room with him. With his eyes closed he concentrated on trying to dispel the hallucination of a man with giant wings. It could not be real. It had to be the painkillers. Patients did not sprout wings in his hospital. It was not possible.

He heard the fake doctor, that Castiel guy in the trench coat hiss at Spenser. "Dean, put them away."

"You know, you're not any freaking fun, Cas." Spenser replied.

There was a rustling sound, a lot of rustling and House opened one eye. The hallucination was gone. House breathed in deeply and there was a sudden familiar stab of pain from his leg. Good. The drugs were wearing off. The wings were gone, the pain was back; House's world was reestablished. The rules of logic, of science, were once more dominant.

Spenser was still standing in front of him, naked as the day he was born but somehow still threatening. Dr. Castiel was behind the patient and the patient's crazy giant relative was standing in the doorway, blocking anyone else from entering.

House grabbed his cane and with it the fading coat-tails of reality and poked at the naked man.

"Spenser, you really should get some clothes on. Maybe you should get back into bed too."

Spenser grinned at House. "Grabbing at the frayed coat tails of reality, is that what you're thinking Dr. House? Has it ever occurred to you that your reality might be a bit limited? That there might just be things that you can't feel, taste or touch? It's a wonder you are as good a doctor as other people claim you are when you resolutely ignore the impossible in favor of banal explanations."

House pushed up on his cane and rose out of the chair to face the patient eye to eye. "A banal explanation like drug induced hallucinations? Or perhaps like your rather cocky assumption that you know me? I think, Mr. Spenser that you are the one with reality issues."

"Maybe so but there's no denying that I'm the guys with these…" Once again Spenser unfurled those massive wings just as Drs. Chase and Cameron pushed past Sam Winchester and entered the room. It was getting a bit crowded and the wings were rattling the blinds against the room windows. One of the blinds gave up the ghost and crashed to the floor, giving the crowd outside a view of golden feathers pressed against the glass and not much else.

Sam reached out and pulled Bobby Singer into the room, barely finding room for the man to stand then pulled the door closed.

"Dean, put those away," Castiel barked out again. "Sam, Bobby, go get out of those paper suits and get ready to travel. Our time in this hospital is over." The two men disappeared through the adjoining room.

Castiel turned to Dr. Chase and took the man's hand. "Thank you Doctor Chase for your help and your faith; you have more than exceeded our expectations. Pray to me for anything you may need."

House sputtered in outrage and Chase was stunned, staring at Dean's golden wings. He barely noticed Castiel.

Bobby and Sam returned and Castiel lay a hand on each man's shoulder and the trio promptly disappeared. Dean snorted, furled his wings which promptly disappeared behind him and sat on the edge of his bed. Dr. Cameron was embarrassed for the naked man obviously checking her out. "Wouldn't you like some clothes, Mr. Spenser?"

This time Spenser laughed out loud and unrestrainedly. "Lady, you just saw me manifest giant wings, three men disappeared into thin air and you're worried about me being naked? Nice compartmentalization. Sort of like an umbrella in a hurricane, isn't it?"

House cleared his throat loudly and obnoxiously, drawing the attention of every one left in the room. "What we thought we saw can be explained a number of ways, Spenser."

"Knock it off, House," the man replied. "By the way, my name is Winchester, Dean Winchester. Spenser was just Castiel's idea of being coy. Don't think about it, just another thing you'll have to find a way to explain. Castiel will be back in a minute and all of this will be as if it never happened at all."

There was a rush of air and the sound of wings. Castiel reappeared in the room.

"How'd it go, Cas?" Dean called out. "Are Sam and Bobby safely on their way out of the State of New Jersey?"

"Yes, I returned them to the car." Cas paused. "There was a man there, smoking a cigarette. He was the same man I saw when I dropped Sam and Bobby off with the car previously. It was very odd. The man ran away screaming. I followed to make sure he was alright and he ran into this building. Someone should check on him. He didn't look good."

Castiel took Chase's arm again, ignoring House. "We are going to go now, Doctor. Thank you for everything."

Chase cautiously took Castiel's hand in an attempt at normality. "Anytime I can be of use to heaven, please just ask." He ignored the noise coming out of Dr. House.

"Come, Dean," Castiel motioned Dean to his side. "It is time for you to find your possible place in Heaven's Hierarchy. We should go."

Dean was still finding the whole adventure incredibly funny. "Sure thing, Cas; let's go meet the family."

With that they both disappeared.

House was still standing in place, murmuring "Hallucinations, definite hallucinations."

Chase bent over and picked a dark gold feather off the floor, glass crunching under his feet. He looked up at the ceiling.

"Here, Dr. House," he said quietly and handed the feather to House. "It looks like your hallucination broke the ceiling light. I'll get Nurse Lebensraum to call Maintenance. At least she can be of some use."

_..-.._..-.._..-.._..-.._

When Castiel appeared in the Hall of Angels along with an unknown Seraph there was much muttering and ruffling of feathers. Np angel approached or objected as the fact that the being was one of the Seraphim was undeniable. All six wings were in plain sight, the flight wings and the second and lower pair which almost covered the small set over the Angel's hips.

Rachel, Castiel's second who he had left in command came forward. "I have called Zachariah, Castiel. He wanted to see you as soon as you arrived." She bowed to the Seraph.

"Rachel," Castiel said calmly. "This is Dean, he is ….."

"An abomination," a loud voice broke in and finished Castiel's sentence.

Castiel's blade dropped into his hand as he turned to face an infuriated Zachariah. "What do you mean brother?"

"He is an abomination, a Nephilim; such creatures are not welcome in Heaven." Zachariah was in full battle mode. His wings arched up, all four faces shouting with fury expressed on every one.

"Zachariah, be careful of what you say." Castiel replied with almost equal force but much more controlled. "This Seraph was not born of a human mother, there is no Nephilim here. What is here is a Seraph and possibly, a new Archangel also."

"Impossible. He is infected with human emotions; he cannot join with either the Throne Angels or the highest. He must be destroyed."

"Once again, brother I tell you, be careful of what you say," Castiel stepped back away from Zachariah's blade and Dean came forwarded with his arms outstretched. He unfurled his wings to their greatest extent, throwing shadows over Zachariah's manifestation and depriving it of the Holy Light of Heaven.

A display of such power had not been seen since Michael had taken over the reins of Heaven from his absent father. The soldier Angels backed away from the circle of conflict. Dean held his hands out in front of his body and delicate rings of power flowed from hand to hand. "Bow down to me or be destroyed."

Zachariah foolishly tried to raise his blade. There was a flash of blue and the blade disappeared. Zachariah stepped back, stunned.

"You and your plots and plans have failed, Angel. Raphael has fallen into error also but he is Michael's problem. You, however, are mine." Dean proclaimed. "I will let you go on because no one should try to take the life of a creature of heaven except God himself. That power is his alone. No one may usurp it."

Behind Dean the Archangel Gabriel appeared, his bright gold wings mixed with Dean's dark color. Further back in the hall Michael appeared also taking no action and so giving his tacit approval to Dean's words. Order in Heaven had been restored, all unlooked for and unexpectedly. With the appearance of Gabriel, Dean and Castiel Michael's power was increased. He would rule Heaven and the host could return to their proper roles, praising God and protecting the human race from the machinations of Hell. Perhaps now Michael could possibly turn his attention to the rescue and rebirth of his beloved brother Lucifer, the Morning Star.


End file.
